A new Bill introduced to Parliament today will enable the collection and publication of information from private and public health facilities and residential aged care facilities.
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Steven Miles said the Health Transparency Bill would enable elderly residents and their families to make informed decisions when choosing a service.
"This is about making sure our parents, and grandparents, and loved ones are treated with respect, dignity, and appropriate levels of care.
"The Palaszczuk Government is sick of dodgy contractors and greedy owners exploiting vulnerable Queenslanders for profit.
"Even though the Federal Government is responsible for the sector's regulation, this is one way we can make them more accountable.
"When it is enacted, this Bill will help open up private and public facilities to similar levels of scrutiny, which will help improve the care provided to older Queenslanders," Mr Miles said.
"Queensland families want to know if their loved one gives their life savings to a company to care for them in their old age, what exactly are they paying for? Enough staff with the right skill mix to care for them? Or another Lamborgini for the CEO?"
The Health Transparency Bill will create a standalone legislative framework to collect and publish information from public and private health facilities and public and private residential aged care facilities.
Consumers will be able to view and compare this information on a new interactive website.
Residential aged care facilities will be asked to report their average daily resident care hours quarterly. Private residential aged care facilities can choose not to report this information, but their decision to opt-out will be highlighted beside their name on the new website.
The Bill also requires Queensland Health's residential aged care facilities to have a minimum nurse skill mix of 50 per cent and for 30 per cent of the total care staff to be registered nurses. These residential aged care facilities must also provide a minimum average of 3.65 hours of nursing and personal care to residents daily.
